Agriculture & Food Updates

Nitrates Derogation Application and Dairy Band Confirmation - Online Systems Open for 2025

Date: 21 March 2025

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, has announced that 2025 Nitrates Derogation applications can now be made on www.agfood.ie .

The Nitrates Derogation gives farmers an opportunity to farm at higher stocking rates, subject to strict conditions that protect the environment and meet the requirements of the Nitrates Directive.

The Nitrates Derogation allows farmers to exceed the normal limit of 170kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations, up to a maximum of 220kg or 250kg per hectare, subject to adherence to stricter rules. In all cases commonage land can only qualify for a maximum allowance of 50kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare.

For a Nitrates Derogation application to be valid, all Terms and Conditions for the Derogation must be adhered to.

Measures all farmers can take to avoid exceeding the nitrates limit for their holding include:

• • Managing livestock numbers
• • Renting/leasing/purchasing additional land
• • Exporting organic nutrients and declaring the movement online within 4 days.

Important: The closing date for 2025 Nitrates Derogation applications is Thursday, 15 May 2025.

Additional information available on the Department’s website.

ENDS

Our Rural Future:

Call for Rural Communities to have their say!

Senator Victor Boyhan has called on Rural Communities to have their say on the future of rural Ireland.

Senator Boyhan highlighted to Agriland the Department for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht online survey giving members of the public an opportunity to have their say on the next phase of Ireland’s rural development policy, Our Rural Future.

Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It offers a blueprint for a thriving and inclusive rural Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious, and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.

The next iteration of Our Rural Future will build upon the achievements of the 2021-2025 policy, while also addressing new issues of importance for people in rural Ireland.

 An extensive public and stakeholder consultation process will continue throughout 2025, underscoring the department's commitment to inclusive policy development.

Following the survey, a series of stakeholder events will take place across the country, facilitating in-depth consultation with rural stakeholders. This comprehensive process will ensure individuals, community organisations, local businesses, and all stakeholders have the opportunity for their voices to be heard during the policy development process.

The online survey is available and will be open until close of business on Wednesday, 2 April 2025.

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Organic Growers Ireland | Information about and for fruit and vegetable growers in Ireland

Check out Information About the Work Placement Programme 

IFA Press Release
Issued by the National Communications Office, The Irish Farmers’ Association
www.ifa.ie

Thursday, March 6^th, 2025

 

Strong Market Demand for Irish Quality Assured Pigmeat

IFA Pig and Pigmeat Chair Michael Caffrey said pig prices are beginning to rise as increased competition for pigs strengthens the market.

Some farmers have reported quotes above official prices over the past few weeks, signalling growing demand.

“As competition intensifies, we are seeing positive movement in pig prices. The recent unofficial increases from some processors reflect the strong demand for pigs, which is welcome news for producers.”

“With the market showing upward momentum, pig farmers are advised to stay informed and capitalise on these improving conditions. Prices are expected to remain firm in the coming weeks as competition for supplies intensifies,” he said.

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Contact:
Niall Madigan (01) 450 1931/ 086 822 8635

Senator Boyhan welcomes €32.4 million of payments under the Tillage and Horticulture Support scheme.

Calls for a new Tillage Expansion and Sustainability scheme.

Concerns for the very survival of the Horticultural food sector.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has this week announced payments totalling €32.4 million for farmers under the Tillage and Horticulture Support scheme.

Minister Heydon said; “Last spring, Government recognised the difficult position tillage and horticultural farmers found themselves in due to exceptionally poor weather and continued high input costs. The tillage and horticultural sectors are exceptionally important to the Irish agri-food sector, and we wanted to ensure that supports were in place to assist farmers. As part of Budget 2025, funding was secured to deliver on the government’s commitment for a €100 per hectare payment to support tillage and horticulture growers who planted crops for the 2024 harvest."

Senator Victor Boyhan who has been re-elected to the Seanad Agricultural Panel for a third term welcomed the payments support scheme and urge framers and producers to take full advantage of the government funding in support of their businesses.

Senator Boyhan said; “The tillage sector is a critical important component of our Agri-food industry, and I know the minister is determined to increase the area of land for tillage in the coming years. Boyhan has called for ambitious targets to be set to increase tillage”.

“The Food Vision Tillage Group, delivered a detailed policy recommendations the aim to sustainably grow the tillage sector to 400,000ha by 2030.  While there are a total of 28 various actions and recommendations, the key central recommendation of a new Tillage Expansion and Sustainability Scheme needs to be pursued – the need for long-term supports and environmental considerations to advance such a scheme need to be pursued here and in brussels”. according to Boyhan 

Commenting on the Horticultural sector Senator Boyhan said;

“The National Horticulture Strategy requires greater attention and ambitious targets to be set, which of course will need to be supported so as to ensure the economic viability of the sector, otherwise its very survival is now in question."

Farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their Tillage and Horticulture Support Scheme payments, can call the Direct Payments Helpline at 057-8674422 or by email to

ENDS

Funding of €3Million for Organic Farming Scheme

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has issued a call for proposals to promote and develop the organic sector.

The Minister confirmed that the total funding for the call is €3 million over the period 2025-2027. Maximum funding per project is €150,000 per annum and extra marks will be allocated to those projects that do not require 100% funding.

Copies of the terms and conditions of the grant scheme, together with application forms, are available from the Organics and Market Supports Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, and on the department’s website, at: Organic Farming Scheme.

This organic support scheme is financed from the National Exchequer and projects should aim to align with the National Organic Strategy and implementation plan.

Applications to be received by post or email to on or before 7 March 2025.

Horticulture in line with the national strategy for horticulture, considerable potential exists for growth. Imports currently account for approx. 70% of retail sales in Ireland. The aim is to reduce this to less than 50% by 2030.

ENDS

Horticulture: Conference will explore opportunities for organic vegetable growers….

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae TD, have announced a conference on Commercial Market Opportunities in Organic Vegetable Production 2025.

Senator Victor Boyhan, a member of the Seanad Agricultural Panel welcomed the Ministers support for the horticultural sector and the importance of this conference in promoting diversification into organic vegetable production and has urge growers and those seek to go into organic production to take this opportunity for guidance, support a explore new opportunities.

“It’s an uncertain time for horticultural and many growers are considering their options to stay or leave the vegetable and fruit production because of costs and cheap imports”.

“Seventy per cent of the organic vegetables currently purchased in Ireland are imported. The National Organic Strategy seeks to build on the aim of the Horticulture Strategy for import substitution.

Senator Boyhan said that the target to reduce imports of organic vegetables to less than 50% by 2030 would be challenging and called for greater supports from the department of Agriculture, to ensure these targets could be realistically achieved.

“The purpose of this conference is to hear from existing growers about the practical requirements of growing vegetables, and to allow buyers to outline the opportunities that exist to replace imports with Irish-grown vegetables – production costs and retailers demands will be challenging” cautioned Senator Boyhan

The conference will highlight the growing opportunities within the organic vegetable production sector and will set out the training and financial supports that are available to growers.

The event will also present a one-stop opportunity for those interested in diversifying their horticultural enterprise to engage with leading sectoral experts and to learn more about market opportunities from those within the sector. The opportunities for diversification for existing conventional growers, as well as the prospects for new growers, will form a key part of event.

The National Strategy for Horticulture and Food Vision 2030 seeks to provide a road map for the horticulture industry to ensure the future economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the sector, this will be the central theme of the conference.

Department of Agriculture and Food Conference: “Commercial Market Opportunities in Organic Vegetable Production 2025

Venue: Auditorium, Backweston, Co. Kildare

Date: Monday 17th February 2025

Time: 10 am – 4.30pm

AGENDA

• 10 am – 10.30 am Ministers Welcome/Opening
• 10.30 am – 11 am Support Grants available/OPIG/Horticulture/OFS/Tams
• 11 am – 11.20 am Diversification through Protective Cropping (Jim Cronin)
• 11.20 am – 11.40 am Coffee Break
• 11.40 am – 12 pm Growing at Field Scale (John Hogan)
• 12 am – 12.15pm Q&A with Jim and John
• 12.15 pm – 1 pm Panel Discussion (Education/Training/Advisory) (John Mulhern, Mary Lynch, Una Wycherley, and Sean McGloin)
• 1 pm – 1.45 pm Lunch
• 1.45 pm – 2.15 pm Irish Market Update (Bord Bia)
• 2.15 pm – 3 pm Panel Discussion (Marketing) (Carmel Biggane, Paul Begley, Kenneth Keavey,)
• 3 pm – 4.30 pm Networking and Breakout sessions

ENDS

 

 

 

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